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Venezia have secured promotion, while Palermo’s situation remains uncertain: who will be promoted to Serie A?

Serie B
Palermo
Monza
Venezia
Frosinone
Catanzaro
Modena
Cesena
Juve Stabia

Fixtures, the league table and what the bookmakers are saying about the promotion race in Serie B

With just seven matchdays gone in Serie B, the picture at the top of the table is beginning to take shape. With the final midweek round of the 25/26 season now complete, Venezia appear to be heading for a return to Serie A after just one year in Serie B. Giovanni Stroppa could cement his reputation as a ‘promotion wizard’ and, following his success with Cremonese, lead the Lagunari back to the pinnacle of Italian football. After a mixed start, Venezia have found their rhythm and, since November, have lost just one match (against Modena) in their last twenty Serie B fixtures. The Lagunari lead the table by three points, but Saturday’s crucial clash against the league’s second-placed side, Monza, will be pivotal.


Bianco’s side, like Venezia, are keen to return to Serie A immediately, relying on Cutrone’s desire for redemption and Petagna’s return to goalscoring form, with three goals in his last three matches. Frosinone remain in the hunt for direct promotion, two points behind Monza and the team that has spent the most matchdays at the top of the table this season. Alvini’s men have experienced a slight dip in form recently, but this does not detract from the fabulous season they have built on a transfer budget of zero this summer.


Whilst the top three are flying high, the same cannot be said of Palermo, who in August seemed to be the leading contender for the long-awaited return to Serie A. This is not only due to the appointment of a manager with a proven track record of promotion to Serie A, such as Inzaghi, but also to the transfer campaign conducted over the summer by the City Group. The Rosanero remain a safe distance behind the teams set to contest the play-off semi-finals, but a lack of consistency in results is gradually undermining their chances of a direct promotion push. Following a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Monza, they managed only a home draw against Juve Stabia (2-2): now, six points separate Inzaghi from Serie A.

  • WHO'S GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS?

    From fifth to eighth place, the race for a play-off spot is still wide open.Whilst Catanzaro and Modena (with a game in hand) find themselves in a middle ground – caught between the hope of reaching fourth place and the ‘comfort’ of a comfortable points cushion over their pursuers – on the other side, Juve Stabia, Cesena, Avellino and Sudtirol are all vying for the final two spots.


    Juve Stabia (42 points) remain favourites to return to the play-offs following last season’s run, as do Cesena, who sit on 40. All this, however, is merely on paper, as neither the ‘Wasps’ nor the Romagnoli have secured three points in over five matches. In particular, the situation in Cesena is tense following Mignani’s sacking and the surprise arrival of Ashley Cole, who has failed to provide a spark. In the midweek fixture, Mantova handed the Bianconeri a resounding 3-0 defeat.


    The surprise of this final stretch of the season could be Davide Ballardini’s Avellino. The experienced manager, brought in to secure a comfortable survival, has now recorded three consecutive wins and is beginning to look up the table.

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  • THE BIG CLUBS' FIXTURES

    League leaders Venezia will be fighting for promotion to Serie A, particularly on the next matchday: their clash with Monza could see them pull away at the top. After that, Stroppa’s side will effectively be responsible for the relegation of several teams, as they face Entella, Empoli, Bari and Spezia – all sides embroiled in the battle to avoid the drop to Serie C. On the final matchday, the Lagunari will host Palermo.


    Monzaface a tougher run-in: after facing Venezia, they take on Catanzaro and Modena, who are in the thick of the play-off race, as well as the struggling big names Bari, Sampdoria and Empoli. For Frosinone, the match on 10 April against Palermo will be crucial both for promotion and for securing the vital third place in the play-off race. They face no top-of-the-table sides, only Modena.


    Palermo’s situation. Inzaghi’s side are still in the running for direct promotion to Serie A, but everything will depend on the match against Frosinone and the final matchday fixture against Venezia. There is also a tricky fixture on the penultimate matchday when the Rosanero host Catanzaro.

  • WHO DO THE BOOKMAKERS FAVOUR TO WIN GROUP B?

    For the bookmakers, the clear favourites remain, of course, Venezia, who are priced between 1.35 and 1.45 to win Serie B. Monza remain close behind but at a safe distance, despite being just three points adrift, with a win for them paying between 3.00 and 3.25. Frosinone are in double figures, priced between 10.00 and 12.00. Palermo are well adrift, with odds of between 40.00 and 50.00 following their recent poor results.

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